GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy suggests he convinced Biden to DROP military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate

President Joe Biden has agreed to end the US military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy suggested Sunday.

McCarthy, who is expected to be the speaker of the House in the new Congress, told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures that he spoke with the president about a provision to end the rule included in this year’s defense budget. year.

Republicans have been pushing for months to end the military’s two-hit rule, arguing that the depletion of America’s fighting forces poses a threat to national security.

Now that they have secured a narrow majority in the House for next year, McCarthy said he made it clear to Biden that there will need to be areas of “compromise” for any hope of legislative success.

“I had a meeting with the president, I laid out very clearly what the difference will be with a new Republican majority,” McCarthy said.

‘Through what is the [National Defense Authorization Act]the national defense bill, we will ensure the lifting of vaccine mandates in our military.’

The California Republican said he was “very clear” with Biden about House Republican priorities, such as holding the NDAA hostage until repeal of the vaccine rule is included.

“The bill will not move” if the language is not in it, McCarthy promised.

I have been very clear with the president. The president… worked with me on this.

He continued: ‘This is the first sign of having a divided government. You have some commitment here. And we have something that the Republicans have been working very hard on, and a number of Democrats as well, trying to find success, but one party rule would never allow that to go forward. And now we are going to succeed.’

Last week, a group of Republican senators sent a letter to their leaders, including Mitch McConnell, telling them they would not consider the NDAA without first voting on a measure to end the military’s vaccine mandate.

More than 3,000 soldiers were inactive as of last April and the rule went into effect, according to the letter co-led by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

Lawmakers say the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate “has ruined the livelihoods of the men and women who have served our country honorably.”

The two-puncture COVID rule was first announced in late August by order of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

In response, Republicans began sounding the alarm about how the rule would exacerbate existing military personnel shortages, which are projected to worsen in the coming years.

“America simply cannot afford to lay off our brave men and women in uniform and lose the investments we have made in each and every one of them due to inept bureaucratic politics,” the letter said.

A senior House Democrat confirmed that political at the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday that a reversal of the COVID rule is being considered.

“We haven’t resolved it, but it’s pretty fair to say it’s up for discussion,” said representative Adam Smith.

The Washington Democrat noted that he was very much in favor of the mandate and other COVID-19 pandemic precautions that were put in place at the time at the behest of the medical community.

‘But right now, does it make sense to have that policy starting in August 2021? That is a discussion that I am open to and that we are having,” Smith reportedly said.